Cleaning Franchise Opportunities: Are They Right For You?

If there’s one thing that’s universally true, it’s that anything people actually use on a regular basis gets dirty. There’s just no avoiding it — which means there’s no avoiding the need to clean up. Of course, it takes a special kind of person to enjoy cleaning up, which means there’s always a big market out there for cleaning services. That’s where you could come in — cleaning franchise opportunities give you the ability to pilot a business that cashes in on other people’s time crunch…or, let’s be honest, their simple lack of desire to clean up!

What Makes a Good Cleaning Franchisee?

Many potential owners are scared away at the thought of cleaning — no one wants to spend their mornings and evenings attending to all of the details of a business only to have to spend their days scrubbing, dusting, and wiping. Fortunately, that’s not actually how it works. The franchisee’s job isn’t to do the cleaning — it’s to keep the business running in the background. The cleaners are all employees. A cleaning franchisee needs to be:

Willing to Be Part of a Community: According to Greg Nathan, a columnist for Franchise Magazine, two of the top three factors that determine a cleaning franchisee’s success are based on their social presence: you have to not only reach out into your local community and make connections, but (for almost every cleaning franchise) you’ll gain a lot by participating in the community of your peers. Other franchisees that you meet during training and online are an enormous resource in this sector; being willing to turn to them with questions and advice is huge.

Financial Skills: The third factor? Financial ability — being able to determine how much you can spend, how much you need to make, how many hours you have to bill to meet your bills, and how much you can afford to spend on marketing and other growth efforts. Without a solid background in accounting, budgeting, and other basic financials, no amount of following directions and community connections will get you through until you start turning a profit.

Managerial Skills: Instead of putting your efforts into constant micromanagement, put a lot of effort into hiring the best possible employees — and then trust them to do their jobs. Compensate them fairly, and offer meaningful perks for top- or over-performers. This one ability will determine whether you’re constantly harried or merely very busy.

What Makes a Good Cleaning Franchiser?

When you’re looking for the right franchise to take on, you might be focused entirely on the bottom line: how little can you invest, how quickly you can start making a profit, etc. — don’t. The best cleaning franchisers aren’t those who focus on instant profitability; they’re the ones that focus on the factors that drive real-world business success.

Pick a franchise with a well-defined, recession-resistant niche that isn’t already filled in your community. Choose one that offers a well-developed training program with ample support built in after the initial training. And more than anything else, select a franchise that is picky — the more selective they are about their franchisees, the more likely it is that being chosen means you’re a good fit and are likely to succeed.

Where to Start

The best way to get started finding your ideal cleaning franchise is to speak with a franchise broker who works with several of the top cleaning franchise opportunities in the industry. Rather than deal with numerous company franchise recruiters trying to sell you on their brand, it is best to work with someone who is objective and can help identify the best franchise opportunity to fit your needs, skills and budget.